The santoku, 'three virtues': vegetables, meat, fish, is an all-purpose knife with a tall profile and rounded tip, built for push-cut work. Its compact format provides a generous working surface and good knuckle clearance on the board. Built in a sanmai construction, it concentrates the hardness of the core steel at the edge, supported by a softer cladding that stabilizes the blade geometry through the cut.
The sanmai construction of this santoku pairs a SKD-11 core with a stainless steel cladding. The hard core is refined at the edge while the cladding takes over behind the bevel, creating a thickness progression that limits resistance on entry. This geometry is consistent with well-executed sanmai constructions: the edge holds its line through the ingredient without the blade wedging.
SKD-11 (SLD Steel) is a semi-stainless tool steel developed by Hitachi Metals and adapted for cutlery by the forges of Sanjo. With a chromium content between 11 and 13%, it offers better corrosion resistance than pure carbon steel without behaving like a standard stainless. It responds well to sharpening on water stones and reaches a fine edge in a reasonable number of passes. It develops little to no patina under typical kitchen conditions. Rinsing and drying after each use is sufficient in most cases, though regular attention extends edge retention.
Care
Rinse and dry after use. Never put in the dishwasher. Regular sharpening on water stones maintains the edge.
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